Timetables and ticket purchase

Track & Trace consignments

Pack it right

Correct packaging facilitates and speeds up parcel handling.

Parcels undergo several handling processes, and so they should withstand normal shipping conditions such as pulling, shoving, abrasion, being squeezed and having other things piled on top of them. The consignor (sender) is responsible for ensuring that the contents are packed to withstand normal handling in transit and do not cause any damage to any person or other goods being carried. Matkahuolto accepts no liability for any damage to unpacked or poorly packed consignments.

Select a package of the right size

A package of the right size prevents damage in transit. Do not leave any empty space around the item inside the package. Fill any empty space with pieces of Styrofoam, expanded polystyrene or bubble wrap. Make sure that the items cannot move around inside the package.

Several items in one package

Pack each item separately. Put the items in the package and place padding between and around them inside the package.

Seal the package carefully.

Put all the items belonging to the consignment inside the package because any items attached to the outside of the package can easily be lost in transit. Make the package as regular in shape as possible and do not leave anything hanging off of it. Use enough tape, string, staples, bands or other types of fastenings to ensure that the package is properly closed. The best way to seal the package is to use thick tape. Seal the seams of the package along their full length and make sure that they are strong enough. Take extra care to reinforce the bottom seam of the package.

Attached the address card

Glue the address card to the top of the package. If your consignment consists of several parcels, remember to put an address card on all of the parcels and attach any instructions for special handling.

Consignments to be handled with care

Use an outer package with rigid walls made of a strong material. Place a thick (min. 5 cm) layer of cushioning material in the bottom of the package. Pack each fragile item separately. Place additional padding on top of the items before you close the package. Glue Matkahuolto’s ‘Handle with care’ stickers to the sides of the package.

Containers and bottles containing liquid

Seal all liquids in a container or bottle and make sure that the cap or lid is firmly closed. Pack the containers in a strong packaging box so that they cannot move around inside the packaging. The package must contain filler material that will absorb the liquid if the container or bottle breaks. Pack wide-mouthed containers (e.g. berry buckets) in plastic bags. Tape the bag or tie the bag shut to make it watertight. Attach labels showing the position in which the package should be transported and handled.

PACKAGING LARGE ITEMS OR ITEMS OF IRREGULAR SHAPE

Prams, pushchairs and babyseats

Fold up the prams and pushchairs. Protect any textile surfaces with plastic or similar material. Secure parts that stick out or could come off easily

with tape. Wrap the item completely in cardboard.

Bicycles, kicksleds, kickbikes and walkers

Protect any protruding parts liable to be damaged or scratched carefully with plastic or packing paper. Fold in all folding components and secure them in position with tape. Wrap the item completely in cardboard. Remember to leave the bike unlocked for the duration of transportation.

Firearms

Protect the firearm with padding and protective material and pack it in a durable cardboard box that will protect the contents from distortion and compression. A firearm packed in a soft case is always considered an ill-packed consignment,

even if the case is padded or insulated. Only a hard-shell firearm case with padding on the inside to protect the firearm and means for fastening the firearm securely inside the case is considered proper packaging. Even so, always wrap a hard-shell firearm case at least in cardboard for safety reasons and to protect the case from scratches, etc.

Always send ammunition in a different consignment than the firearm itself. Cartridges are always considered dangerous goods and their packing and delivery is subject to the guidelines and requirements regarding the transport of dangerous goods and objects.

Musical instruments

Protect the instrument with padding and protective material and pack it in a stiff cardboard box that will protect the contents from distortion and compression. An instrument packed in a soft case is always considered an ill-packed consignment, even if the case is padded or insulated. Only a hard-shell instrument case with padding on the inside to protect the instrument and means for fastening the instrument securely inside the case is considered proper packaging. However, it is also advisable to use additional packaging material around the case to protect it from damage in transit.

Textiles, e.g. carpets and rolls of cloth

Protect heavy textiles, such as rolls of carpets and cloth, by wrapping them in plastic or packing paper and take extra care to protect the ends of the rolls with cardboard, etc. Finally, package the items in cardboard or thick plastic. Plastic alone does not provide adequate protection because the ends of carpet and cloth rolls are subjected to stresses that plastic is not strong enough to withstand.

Furniture, full-size pieces and components

Protect the legs, edges and sides of pieces of furniture using plenty of padding and attach corner pieces to protect the corners. Pack all furniture in strong cardboard boxes. Do lot leave the legs or other protrusions sticking out. Wrap the individual furniture components in protective material one by one and place them inside the package in such a way that they cannot slide around and damage the furniture. Alternatively, you can place the loose components in a separate box. If the piece of furniture comprises fragile material such as glass, fix and protect it with special care and attach Matkahuolto’s ‘Handle with care’ labels on the packaging.

Protect each individual component of furniture delivered in parts, such as boards, using corner and edge protectors. Then insert padding on all sides of the components and place them in a strong box.

Long and narrow objects, e.g. Venetian blinds

Pack long, narrow objects, such as Venetian blinds, one by one in a cardboard box, corrugated board or tube. The outermost package must be rigid and strong enough to withstand bending, torsion, compression, abrasion, impact and having other items piled on top of the package.

It is not enough to shrink-wrap long and narrow items because plastic does not provide sufficient protection. Secure the items inside the packaging using padding and other fasteners to ensure that they cannot slide around inside the packaging. Use generous padding on all sides, e.g. expanded polystyrene, bubble wrap, corrugated board or Styrofoam. Protect the ends of the objects with great care because they are subjected to greater stresses in transit. With long objects, always use a solid wooden board to provide extra rigidity and ensure that the contents are not bent during transportation. It is advisable to use a board even with small items for additional rigidity if the packaging itself is not stiff enough or bends easily. Do not place any other items in the same package with long and narrow objects or tape other packages to it to avoid the package from being bent during transportation.

Car tyres

Place care tyres in plastic type bags. With studded (spiked) winter tyres used for racing, place cardboard around the tread. Always use cardboard to protect wheel discs and particularly aluminium wheel discs because plastic does not provide sufficient protection.

Car body parts

Bonnets, doors, boot lids, body panels, bumpers:

Wrap each item completely in expanded plastic or similar material to ensure that it is not in direct contact with the outer package. Bundle all the items

in thick bubble wrap and protect all corners and edges with Styrofoam, cardboard or expanded plastic.

Consider using additional padding if the weight or shape of the item is exceptional or unusual. For example, if the item is curved or has protrusions, take extra care in packaging. Finally, place the

item in a cardboard box making sure that all the contents are completely inside it.

Do not place other items in the same package to prevent damage to the items during transit. Plastic packaging alone is not sufficient for these items.

Car lights:

Place the lights in a stiff cardboard box complete with padding to prevent

the lights from moving around inside the box and to isolate them from the outer packaging. Do not pack any other items in the same box.

A sales package is seldom rigid enough to serve as a transportation package. Use a rigid cardboard box as the outermost package.

Car windshields and other windows:

Place the windshield or other window in a plywood box, wooden crate or rigid cardboard box. Provide plenty of padding on all sides of the glass to make sure that the item cannot move around inside the package. Do not place any other items in the same package. Glass items wrapped only in plastic are not properly packaged.

Engines, gearboxes and other machine parts containing oil or fuel

Drain any oil or fuel out of the machine or device before packing it. Place the item in a suitable plastic box. Add filler material to the box that will absorb any liquid that may leak from the item.

Unpacked machines, mechanical components and devices are not accepted for carriage by Matkahuolto.